My Soarer's Converter

 

While I was composing this post, I found myself wondering... how’s Soarer doing these days?

Anyway, I’ve been using Soarer’s Converter for quite a while now, and I’m very satisfied with it. I currently have one set up for my M122 (XT) and another for my 104-key (AT). Recently, I got hold of several 109-key Memorex Telex keyboard and needed a separate converter for it.

Rather than reusing an old design, I decided to start from scratch. The result is what you see here: a Pro Micro ATmega32u4 paired with a gutted DIN plug, neatly sandwiched inside a two-piece enclosure.

Feel free to improve or remix the design on Onshape.


 

Keyboard in photo.

Update: Quick Programming Guide

Disclaimer

This guide is not a replacement for the official documentation by Soarer. It is a simple walkthrough based on my own experience while setting up and customizing Soarer’s Converter. If you are new to Soarer’s Converter or working with AT keyboards, this may help you understand the basic process and tools involved. 

What You’ll Need

Before starting, make sure you have the following:

If your Soarer’s converter is already pre-flashed, you can skip the flashing section below.
 

Flashing the Pro Micro

To make the Pro Micro work as a Soarer’s Converter, it needs to be flashed with the correct firmware.
Download Soarer’s Converter from the link above. Locate and use the firmware file: Soarer_at2usb_v1.10_atmega32u4.hex

Flash the Pro Micro using one of the following tools:

  • QMK Toolbox
  • AVRDUDESS
  • Any compatible AVR flashing tool

Once flashing is complete, the Pro Micro is ready to be used as a keyboard converter.

Using the Default Configuration

By default, Soarer’s Converter is configured for an ANSI IBM Model M 104-key keyboard. For many users, this works immediately without any extra setup.

However, if:

  • You are using a different keyboard model
  • Your keyboard has extra keys (such as this 109-key AT Keyboard)
  • Some keys do not register or are mapped incorrectly

Then you will need to customize the configuration.

Understanding the Problem

In my case, when I connected the 109-key keyboard, only a few keys were recognized.

I first tested the keyboard using EK Switch Hitter, which is useful for basic testing. However, it does not show enough information to properly identify unknown or unmapped keys.

To fix this, I needed a tool that could show the raw HID codes being sent by the keyboard.

Using HID Listen to Identify Keys

The tool I used is HID Listen:  https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/hid_listen.html

HID Listen shows exactly what the keyboard is sending to the computer when a key is pressed.

Why this is important?

  • Soarer’s Converter uses these HID codes
  • Unknown or unmapped keys must be identified first
  • Once identified, they can be assigned correctly in the configuration file

When you press a key, HID Listen will display a code. This code tells you which key needs to be changed or added in your layout file.

Editing and Compiling the Configuration


 

After identifying the keys:

  • Edit your Soarer configuration file and assign the correct keys. See at.txt for sample configurations for the 109-key above.
  • Use Soarer’s assembly tool: scwr.exe. This converts your text configuration into a binary file.
  • Upload the new configuration to the converter using: scwr.exe

Final Check

If the tools run without errors:

  • The converter has been updated successfully
  • Your keyboard should now work with the new layout
  • At this point, the keyboard is ready for daily use.

P.S. 

I personally don’t use macros or layers on full-size keyboards, but I’m open to experimenting with them and discussing them separately if there’s interest.

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